Del Mar considers reducing race card

Economy a factor in five-day format

Track insiders and general fans who have opined that the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club summer meeting would be better with a reduction from its six-day racing week could get their wish this summer.

DMTC's top officials acknowledged yesterday that the organization, which leases the facility from the state to run the race meeting, is exploring the possibility of dropping Mondays from the Wednesday-to-Monday format that has stood for decades.

“It's certainly something we've been looking at and the more we look at it the better it gets,” said Joe Harper, DMTC president, CEO and general manager. “I feel confident saying it will be our recommendation that we go to a five-day week.”

Executive Vice President Craig Fravel emphasized that the notion is “not any more than conceptual right now,” and the DMTC is “still doing an internal analysis.” Harper said it is not a fait accompli, because approval must be gained by the DMTC board of directors, the board of the 22nd District Agricultural Association (Del Mar Fair), state racetrack leasing committee and the California Horse Racing Board.

The analysis, being conducted by DMTC chief financial officer Michael Ernst, could be finished within a month, Fravel said. Approval from other agencies would conclude with the licensing to run the meeting with specific dates from the CHRB at its meeting in May.

The current state of the economy, a declining California thoroughbred horse population and perceived downturn in both the number and financial commitment of owners are all contributing factors in the decision to explore the five-day option.

“We've always been a big proponent of when you make a change here you better make it for the benefit of the patron,” Harper said. “I think this is certainly to the benefit of the patron. If we're right, we're going to have better (racing) cards, basically.”

Six-day racing weeks have been standard at Del Mar since 1946. The track, founded by Bing Crosby and some Hollywood friends, opened in 1937. It presented races on a Tuesday-to-Saturday basis before being closed from 1942-44 during World War II and maintained that schedule for the re-opening season in 1945.

A Monday-to-Saturday format was maintained from 1946 until 1973 when – sports competition on Sundays having gained social acceptance – conducting racing and betting on Sunday was legalized.

In recent decades many horsemen – who generally live and work in the Los Angeles area with the exception of two months in the summer – have said five-day weeks at Del Mar would be easier on them and their horses.

Gulfstream Park in Florida and Golden Gate Fields in Northern California have reduced days and felt the overall impact was positive, Harper said the DMTC studies have shown.

“You start off thinking about it as a defensive move, to give the horses, the trainers, jockeys and the track employees a break,” Harper said. “But the more you look at the revenue side and the savings side in light of what's going on now, all of a sudden it makes a whole lot of sense financially.